Systems and methods for determining a volume of resected tissue during a surgical procedure

ABSTRACT

An exemplary tissue volume detection system accesses, during a surgical procedure involving resecting a piece of tissue from a body, a plurality of depth datasets for the resected piece of tissue. Each of the plurality of depth datasets is captured as a different portion of a surface of the resected piece of tissue is presented to an imaging device by an instrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in a manner that sequentially presents the different portions of the surface to the imaging device. During the surgical procedure and based on the depth datasets, the system generates a three-dimensional (3D) occupancy map that includes a set of voxels identified to be occupied by the resected piece of tissue. Based on the 3D occupancy map and still during the surgical procedure, the system determines an estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/948,500, filed on Dec. 16, 2019, and entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING A VOLUME OF RESECTED TISSUE DURINGA SURGICAL PROCEDURE,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Various types of surgical procedures involve resecting a piece of tissue(e.g., excising, removing, or otherwise cutting out a mass, sample, orother portion of tissue) from a body being operated on (e.g., a body ofa human patient, a cadaver, an animal, a training fixture, etc.). Forexample, the piece of resected tissue may incorporate an entire organ orother body part (e.g., an appendix during an appendectomy, etc.) or aportion of an organ or other body part (e.g., a portion of kidney tissueduring a partial nephrectomy, etc.).

After a piece of tissue has been resected, it may be desirable forvarious reasons to determine a volume of the piece of resected tissue.For instance, it may be desirable to record the volume of tissue thathas been removed within documentation associated with the surgery (e.g.,documentation to be later referenced by members of the surgical team,the patient, insurance providers, etc.). As another example, it may bedesirable to compare the measured volume of tissue that has beenresected with an expected volume of tissue that was anticipated to beresected based on preoperative planning. In this way, the surgical teammay ensure that the volume of tissue actually resected is at least asgreat as expected, thereby indicating, for example, that an entire masswas removed and will not present later risks or issues (e.g., metastasisof a cancerous growth, etc.).

SUMMARY

The following description presents a simplified summary of one or moreaspects of the systems and methods described herein. This summary is notan extensive overview of all contemplated aspects and is intended toneither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineatethe scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present one ormore aspects of the systems and methods described herein as a prelude tothe detailed description that is presented below.

An exemplary system includes a memory storing instructions and aprocessor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured toexecute the instructions. For example, during a surgical procedure thatinvolves resecting a piece of tissue from a body, the processor mayexecute the instructions to access a plurality of depth datasets for theresected piece of tissue. Each depth dataset in this plurality of depthdatasets may be captured as a different portion of a surface of theresected piece of tissue is presented to an imaging device by aninstrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in a manner thatsequentially presents the different portions of the surface to theimaging device. The processor may further execute the instructions togenerate, during the surgical procedure and based on the plurality ofdepth datasets, a three-dimensional (3D) occupancy map including a setof voxels identified to be occupied by the resected piece of tissue.Moreover, the processor may execute the instructions to determine,during the surgical procedure and based on the 3D occupancy map, anestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue.

Another exemplary system also includes a memory storing instructions anda processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured toexecute the instructions. Again, in this example, the processor mayexecute the instructions to access, during a surgical procedure thatinvolves resecting a piece of tissue from a body, a plurality of depthdatasets for the resected piece of tissue, where each depth dataset inthe plurality of depth datasets is captured as a different portion of asurface of the resected piece of tissue is presented to an imagingdevice by an instrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in amanner that sequentially presents the different portions of the surfaceto the imaging device. The processor may also execute the instructionsto access an expected volume of the resected piece of tissue that isdetermined prior to the surgical procedure, and to generate, during thesurgical procedure and based on the plurality of depth datasets, a 3Doccupancy map including a set of voxels identified to be occupied by theresected piece of tissue. After executing the instructions to determinean estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue based on the 3Doccupancy map, the processor may also compare the estimated volume ofthe resected piece of tissue with the expected volume of the resectedpiece of tissue, and indicate, to a member of a surgical team performingthe surgical procedure, whether the estimated volume is within apredetermined threshold of the expected volume. All of these operationsmay be performed by the processor during the surgical procedure suchthat the member of the surgical team may be intraoperatively apprised ofwhether the estimated volume is within the predetermined threshold ofwhat is expected.

An exemplary method is performed by a tissue volume detection systemduring a surgical procedure that involves resecting a piece of tissuefrom a body. The method includes accessing a plurality of depth datasetsfor the resected piece of tissue, where each depth dataset in theplurality of depth datasets is captured as a different portion of asurface of the resected piece of tissue is presented to an imagingdevice by an instrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in amanner that sequentially presents the different portions of the surfaceto the imaging device. The method further includes generating, duringthe surgical procedure and based on the plurality of depth datasets, a3D occupancy map including a set of voxels identified to be occupied bythe resected piece of tissue. Moreover, the method includes determiningan estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue during the surgicalprocedure and based on the 3D occupancy map.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments and are a partof the specification. The illustrated embodiments are merely examplesand do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Throughout the drawings,identical or similar reference numbers designate identical or similarelements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary tissue volume detection system fordetermining a volume of resected tissue during a surgical procedureaccording to principles described herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computer-assisted surgical systemaccording to principles described herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram showing how the tissuevolume detection system of FIG. 1 may, along with other systems,integrate and/or interoperate with the computer-assisted surgical systemof FIG. 2 according to principles described herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary aspects of how a plurality of depthdatasets may be captured as different portions of a surface of aresected piece of tissue are presented to an imaging device according toprinciples described herein.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary plurality of depth datasets andexemplary content that may be included therein according to principlesdescribed herein.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary manner in which the plurality of depthdatasets of FIG. 5 may collectively include depth data representative ofan entirety of the surface of the resected piece of tissue according toprinciples described herein.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate exemplary aspects of how a raytracing operationmay be performed to generate an exemplary 3D occupancy map according toprinciples described herein.

FIGS. 11-14 illustrate exemplary aspects of various additional volumedetection techniques that may be used to verify the accuracy and/orrefine the results of volume detection techniques described in relationto FIGS. 1-10 according to principles described herein.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary method for determining a volume ofresected tissue during a surgical procedure according to principlesdescribed herein.

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary computing device according toprinciples described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Systems and methods for determining a volume of resected tissue during asurgical procedure are described herein. As described above, there maybe various reasons for which it is desirable to measure the volume of aresected piece of tissue, including to record the volume indocumentation summarizing the surgical procedure, to ensure that anentirety of a tumor or other unwanted growth has been removed inaccordance with preoperative planning, and so forth. While there arevarious ways to accurately measure the volume of a resected piece oftissue once the surgical procedure is complete and the resected piece oftissue has been withdrawn from the body, it may be particularly usefuland advantageous in certain scenarios for the volume of a resected pieceof tissue to be determined immediately after the resection while thetissue is still within the body (i.e., while the surgical procedure isstill ongoing and prior to the tissue being withdrawn from the body). Tothis end, methods and systems described herein relate to various ways ofdetermining the volume of a piece resected tissue while the piece ofresected tissue is still inside the body.

For example, an exemplary tissue volume detection system may access,during the surgical procedure involving resecting a piece of tissue froma body, a plurality of depth datasets for the resected piece of tissue.Each depth dataset in the plurality of depth datasets may be captured asa different portion of a surface of the resected piece of tissue ispresented to an imaging device. For example, an instrument that holdsthe resected piece of tissue may present the different portions of thesurface of the resected piece of tissue to the imaging device in asequential manner such as by rotating the resected piece of tissuearound in the field of view of the imaging device to allow the imagingdevice to view and capture the entirety of the surface.

Based on this plurality of depth datasets, and also during the surgicalprocedure (e.g., as the surgical procedure is ongoing and while theresected piece of tissue is still within the body), the tissue volumedetection system may generate a three-dimensional (3D) occupancy map.For example, the 3D occupancy map may include a set of voxels that areidentified to be occupied by the resected piece of tissue. Accordingly,the tissue volume detection system may then determine, based on the 3Doccupancy map and still during the surgical procedure, an estimatedvolume of the resected piece of tissue.

While this example and other examples described in detail herein employpluralities of depth datasets for the resected piece of tissue that arecaptured as various portions of the resected piece of tissue ispresented to an imaging device, it will be understood that, in certainexamples, assumptions may be made about certain portions of the surfaceof the resected piece of tissue that would allow an estimated volume tobe determined based on only a single captured depth dataset. Forexample, an exemplary tissue volume detection system may access, duringa surgical procedure that involves resecting a piece of tissue from abody, a single depth dataset captured as a particular portion of asurface of the resected piece of tissue is presented to the imagedevice. Then, based on this depth dataset and based on one or moreassumptions about how the presented portion of the surface may representother non-presented portions of the surface that are not captured andanalyzed (e.g., an assumption that the resected piece of tissue issymmetrical, etc.), the exemplary tissue volume detection system maygenerate a 3D occupancy map that includes a set of voxels identified tobe occupied by the resected piece of tissue. Accordingly, the tissuevolume detection system may determine, based on the 3D occupancy map andstill during the surgical procedure, an estimated volume of the resectedpiece of tissue. It will be understood that thissingle-depth-dataset-based estimation may only be as accurate as the oneor more assumptions that are employed regarding how the presentedportion of the tissue represents other portions that are not presented,captured, and/or analyzed.

A tissue volume detection system such as described above may providevarious advantages and benefits to facilitate the surgical procedure andassist a surgical team performing the procedure. For example, amongother advantages and benefits, a tissue volume detection systemperforming the operations described above may enable the surgical teamto immediately (i.e., while the surgical procedure is still ongoing) getconfirmation that a volume of a mass of resected tissue is no smallerthan expected based on preliminary plans, and to thereby avoidmetastasis by ensuring that the entire mass has been properly resected.If the tissue volume detection system indicates, for instance, that theentirety of the expected mass has not been successfully resected, thesurgical team may investigate and continue operating to potentiallyresect the remainder of the expected tissue during the same surgicalprocedure (e.g., while the body is still under anesthesia, while theinstruments and imaging device are still within the body, etc.), ratherthan having to reintroduce the instruments and/or imaging equipment tothe body after having removed them in an extended or subsequent surgicalprocedure.

As one particular example of a tissue volume detection system configuredto provide some of these specific benefits, an exemplary tissue volumedetection system may access (e.g., during a surgical procedure thatinvolves resecting a piece of tissue from a body) a plurality of depthdatasets for the resected piece of tissue, where each depth dataset inthe plurality of depth datasets is captured as a different portion of asurface of the resected piece of tissue is presented to an imagingdevice by an instrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in amanner that sequentially presents the different portions of the surfaceto the imaging device. This tissue volume detection system may furtheraccess an expected volume of the resected piece of tissue. For example,the expected volume may be determined prior to the surgical procedure,such as based on preoperative scanning performed in preparation for thesurgery.

As with the tissue volume detection system described above, this tissuevolume detection system may generate, during the surgical procedure andbased on the plurality of depth datasets, a 3D occupancy map thatincludes a set of voxels identified to be occupied by the resected pieceof tissue, and may determine, during the surgical procedure and based onthe 3D occupancy map, an estimated volume of the resected piece oftissue. Additionally, in order to provide some of the specific benefitsdescribed herein, this tissue volume detection system may be configuredto compare, during the surgical procedure, the estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue with the expected volume of the resected pieceof tissue, and to indicate, during the surgical procedure to a member ofa surgical team (e.g., a surgeon) performing the surgical procedure,whether the estimated volume is within a predetermined threshold of theexpected volume. As mentioned above, this may give valuable insight tothe member of the surgical team regarding whether the resection has beensuccessful and is complete, or whether more tissue is to be resectedbefore the surgical procedure is brought to a close.

Along with these benefits of intraoperatively determining the volume ofa resected piece of tissue, it will be understood that various otherbenefits and advantages may also arise from the use of systems andmethods described herein, some of which may also arise if these systemsand methods are performed after the surgical procedure is completeand/or the resected piece of tissue is fully extracted and removed fromthe body. For example, by measuring the volume of a resected piece oftissue in any of the ways described herein, accurate documentation forthe surgical procedure may be recorded and provided to those who may beinvolved with the procedure in various ways. For instance, suchdocumentation may be relevant to a patient upon whom the surgicalprocedure has been performed; a surgeon, surgical team member, ororganization (e.g., hospital, etc.) associated with performing thesurgical procedure; an insurance provider evaluating insurance claimsrelated to the surgical procedure; or any other interested party havingany suitable connection to the surgical procedure.

Additional detail will be described below regarding how tissue volumedetection systems such as described above may employ various techniquesto determine the volume of resected tissue during surgical procedures.While one particular volume detection technique (i.e., the techniquedescribed above involving accessing the depth datasets, generating the3D occupancy map, and determining the estimated volume based on the 3Doccupancy map) will be a primary area of focus in the followingdescription, other suitable volume detection techniques will also bedescribed herein and it will be understood that any volume detectiontechnique described herein may be employed by itself as a standalonetechnique or may be combined with other techniques in any manner as mayserve a particular implementation. For example, as will be described inmore detail below, a particular volume detection technique may beemployed as a primary volume detection technique and one or moreadditional volume detection techniques described herein may serve assecondary volume detection techniques that help to verify the accuracyof the primary volume detection technique, refine the results of theprimary volume detection technique, or otherwise bolster and strengthenthe efficacy of the volume detection performed using the primary volumedetection technique.

While shorthand names may be used to refer to various volume detectiontechniques described herein, it will be understood that these shorthandnames are meant as convenient labels only, and should not be interpretedas limiting in any way the breadth of possibilities of any particularvolume detection technique or combination thereof that may be employed.Such shorthand names include: 1) an “occupancy map” volume detectiontechnique such as described above and described in more detail below inrelation to FIGS. 1-10 and 15 ; 2) an “interaction-based” volumedetection technique that will be described in more detail below such asin relation to FIG. 11 ; 3) a “shrink-wrap-based” volume detectiontechnique that will be described in more detail below such as inrelation to FIG. 12 ; 4) a “force-sensing-based” volume detectiontechnique that will be described in more detail below such as inrelation to FIG. 13 ; and 5) a “cavity-based” volume detection techniquethat will be described in more detail below such as in relation to FIG.14 .

Various embodiments will now be described in more detail with referenceto the figures. The disclosed systems and methods may provide one ormore of the benefits mentioned above and/or various additional and/oralternative benefits that will be made apparent herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary tissue volume detection system 100(“system 100”) for determining a volume of resected tissue during asurgical procedure according to principles described herein. In certainexamples, system 100 may be included in, implemented by, or connected toone or more components of a computer-assisted surgical system such as anexemplary computer-assisted surgical system that will be described belowin relation to FIG. 2 . For instance, in such examples, system 100 maybe implemented by one or more components of a computer-assisted surgicalsystem such as a manipulating system, a user control system, or anauxiliary system. In other examples, system 100 may be implemented by astand-alone computing system (e.g., a stand-alone computing systemcommunicatively coupled to a computer-assisted surgical system orimplementing another non-surgical application or use case).

As shown in FIG. 1 , system 100 may include, without limitation, astorage facility 102 and a processing facility 104 selectively andcommunicatively coupled to one another. Facilities 102 and 104 may eachinclude or be implemented by one or more physical computing devicesincluding hardware and/or software components such as processors,memories, storage drives, communication interfaces, instructions storedin memory for execution by the processors, and so forth. Althoughfacilities 102 and 104 are shown to be separate facilities in FIG. 1 ,facilities 102 and 104 may be combined into fewer facilities, such asinto a single facility, or divided into more facilities as may serve aparticular implementation. In some examples, each of facilities 102 and104 may be distributed between multiple devices and/or multiplelocations as may serve a particular implementation.

Storage facility 102 may maintain (e.g., store) executable data used byprocessing facility 104 to perform any of the functionality describedherein. For example, storage facility 102 may store instructions 106that may be executed by processing facility 104 to perform one or moreof the operations described herein. Instructions 106 may be implementedby any suitable application, software, code, and/or other executabledata instance. Storage facility 102 may also maintain any data received,generated, managed, used, and/or transmitted by processing facility 104.

Processing facility 104 may be configured to perform (e.g., executeinstructions 106 stored in storage facility 102 to perform) variousoperations associated with determining a volume of resected tissueduring a surgical procedure. For instance, to use the occupancy mapvolume detection technique as one example, processing facility 104 maybe configured to access, during a surgical procedure that involvesresecting a piece of tissue from a body, a plurality of depth datasetsfor the resected piece of tissue. Each depth dataset in the plurality ofdepth datasets accessed by processing facility 104 may be captured as adifferent portion of a surface of the resected piece of tissue ispresented to an imaging device by an instrument that holds the resectedpiece of tissue in a manner that sequentially presents the differentportions of the surface to the imaging device. During the surgicalprocedure and based on the plurality of depth datasets, processingfacility 104 may generate, in any of the ways described herein, a 3Doccupancy map that includes a set of voxels identified to be occupied bythe resected piece of tissue. Based on the 3D occupancy map (and alsoduring the surgical procedure), processing facility 104 may determine(e.g., compute, calculate, estimate, etc.) an estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue.

In certain examples, processing facility 104 may be further configuredto perform additional operations to help provide certain benefits andadvantages described herein. For example, processing facility 104 may beconfigured to access (e.g., during the surgical procedure or prior tothe commencement of the surgical procedure) an expected volume of theresected piece of tissue that has been determined prior to the surgicalprocedure (e.g., based on preoperative scanning and planning, etc.).Accordingly, after generating the 3D occupancy map and determining theestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue, and while the surgicalprocedure is still ongoing, processing facility 104 may be configured tocompare the estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue with theexpected volume of the resected piece of tissue, and to indicate (e.g.,to a member of a surgical team performing the surgical procedure)whether the estimated volume is within a predetermined threshold of theexpected volume.

As has been described, various implementations of system 100 may beconfigured to determine the volume of resected tissue during a surgicalprocedure. As used herein, an operation will be understood to beperformed during a surgical procedure if the operation is performedwhile the surgical procedure is ongoing, such as before imagingequipment and/or surgical instruments that may be holding resectedtissue are withdrawn from the body, before the body is stitched upand/or brought out of anesthesia (if applicable to the surgicalprocedure), and so forth. To this end, operations described herein maybe performed in real time (i.e., performed immediately and without unduedelay, such as by processing dynamic and time-sensitive data includingcaptured depth data while the data remains relevant and up-to-date).

The operations described above, as well as other operations that may beperformed by processing facility 104, are described in more detailherein. In the description that follows, any references to functionsperformed by system 100 may be understood to be performed by processingfacility 104 based on instructions 106 stored in storage facility 102.

As used herein, a surgical procedure may include any medical procedure,including any diagnostic, therapeutic, or treatment procedure in whichmanual and/or instrumental techniques are used on a body of a patient orother subject to investigate or treat a physical condition. A surgicalprocedure may be performed at a surgical site that will be understood toinclude any volumetric space associated with the surgical procedure. Forexample, the surgical site may include any part or parts of a body of apatient or other subject of the surgery in a space associated with thesurgical procedure. The surgical site may, in certain examples, beentirely disposed within the body and may include a space within thebody near where a surgical procedure is being performed. For example,fora minimally invasive surgical procedure being performed on tissueinternal to a patient, the surgical site may include the surface tissue,anatomy underlying the surface tissue, as well as space around thetissue where, for example, surgical instruments being used to manipulatethe tissue to thereby perform the procedure are located. In otherexamples, the surgical site may be at least partially located externalto the patient. For instance, for an open surgical procedure beingperformed on a patient, part of the surgical site may be internal to thepatient while another part of the surgical site (e.g., a space aroundthe tissue where one or more surgical instruments may be located) may beexternal to the patient.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computer-assisted surgical system(“surgical system 200”). As shown, surgical system 200 may include amanipulating system 202, a user control system 204 (also referred toherein as a surgeon console), and an auxiliary system 206 (also referredto herein as an auxiliary console) communicatively coupled one toanother. Surgical system 200 may be utilized by a surgical team toperform a computer-assisted surgical procedure on a body of a patient208. As shown, the surgical team may include a surgeon 210-1, anassistant 210-2, a nurse 210-3, and an anesthesiologist 210-4, all ofwhom may be collectively referred to as “surgical team members 210.”Additional or alternative surgical team members may be present during asurgical session as may serve a particular implementation.

While FIG. 2 illustrates an ongoing minimally invasive surgicalprocedure, it will be understood that surgical system 200 may similarlybe used to perform open surgical procedures or other types of surgicalprocedures that may similarly benefit from the accuracy and convenienceof surgical system 200. Additionally, it will be understood that thesurgical session throughout which surgical system 200 may be employedmay not only include an operative phase of a surgical procedure, as isillustrated in FIG. 2 , but may also include preoperative,postoperative, and/or other suitable phases of the surgical procedure.

As shown in FIG. 2 , manipulating system 202 may include a plurality ofmanipulator arms 212 (e.g., manipulator arms 212-1 through 212-4) towhich a plurality of surgical instruments and/or other tools (e.g.,imaging devices such as an endoscope, an ultrasound tool, etc.) may becoupled. Each surgical instrument may be implemented by any suitabletherapeutic instrument (e.g., a tool having tissue-interactionfunctions), diagnostic instrument, or the like that may be used for acomputer-assisted surgical procedure on patient 208 (e.g., by being atleast partially inserted into patient 208 and manipulated to perform acomputer-assisted surgical procedure on patient 208). In some examples,one or more of the surgical instruments may include force-sensing and/orother sensing capabilities. In some examples, an imaging device may beimplemented by an endoscopic device or another suitable imaging devicesuch as an ultrasound module that is connected to or coupled with asurgical instrument. While manipulating system 202 is depicted anddescribed herein as including four manipulator arms 212, it will berecognized that manipulating system 202 may include only a singlemanipulator arm 212 or any other number of manipulator arms as may servea particular implementation.

Manipulator arms 212, as well as surgical instruments and/or imagingdevices attached to manipulator arms 212, may include one or moredisplacement transducers, orientational sensors, and/or positionalsensors used to generate raw (i.e., uncorrected) kinematics information.In some examples, system 100 and/or surgical system 200 may beconfigured to use the kinematics information to track (e.g., determinepositions of) and/or control surgical instruments and/or imaging devices(as well as anything held by or connected to the instruments and/orimaging devices such as a retracted piece of tissue, a needle used forsuturing or another such surgical tool, etc.).

User control system 204 may be configured to facilitate control bysurgeon 210-1 of manipulator arms 212 and surgical instruments and/orimaging devices attached to manipulator arms 212. For example, surgeon210-1 may interact with user control system 204 to remotely move ormanipulate manipulator arms 212 and the instruments or devices attachedthereto. To this end, user control system 204 may provide surgeon 210-1with imagery of a surgical site associated with patient 208 as capturedby an imaging device. In certain examples, user control system 204 mayinclude a stereo viewer having two displays where stereoscopic images ofa surgical site associated with patient 208 and generated by astereoscopic imaging device may be viewed by surgeon 210-1. Capturedimagery, as well as data or notifications generated by system 100, maybe displayed by user control system 204 to facilitate surgeon 210-1 inperforming one or more procedures with surgical instruments attached tomanipulator arms 212.

To facilitate control of surgical instruments and imaging devices duringthe surgical procedure, user control system 204 may include a set ofmaster controls. These master controls may be manipulated by surgeon210-1 to control movement of instruments and/or imaging devices such asby utilizing robotic and/or teleoperation technology. The mastercontrols may be configured to detect a wide variety of hand, wrist, andfinger movements by surgeon 210-1. In this manner, surgeon 210-1 mayintuitively perform a procedure using one or more surgical instrumentsand imaging devices.

Auxiliary system 206 may include one or more computing devicesconfigured to perform primary processing operations of surgical system200. In such configurations, the one or more computing devices includedin auxiliary system 206 may control and/or coordinate operationsperformed by various other components (e.g., manipulating system 202 anduser control system 204) of surgical system 200. For example, acomputing device included in user control system 204 may transmitinstructions to manipulating system 202 by way of the one or morecomputing devices included in auxiliary system 206. As another example,auxiliary system 206 may receive (e.g., from manipulating system 202)and may process image data representative of imagery captured by animaging device.

In some examples, auxiliary system 206 may be configured to presentvisual content to surgical team members 210 who may not have access tothe images provided to surgeon 210-1 at user control system 204. To thisend, auxiliary system 206 may include a display monitor 214 configuredto display captured imagery, one or more user interfaces, notificationsor information generated by system 100, information associated withpatient 208 and/or the surgical procedure, and/or any other visualcontent as may serve a particular implementation. In some examples,display monitor 214 may display augmented reality images of the surgicalsite that includes live video capture together with augmentations suchas textual and/or graphical content (e.g., anatomical models generatedpreoperatively, contextual information, etc.) concurrently displayedwith the images. In some embodiments, display monitor 214 is implementedby a touchscreen display with which surgical team members 210 mayinteract (e.g., by way of touch gestures) to provide user input tosurgical system 200.

Manipulating system 202, user control system 204, and auxiliary system206 may be communicatively coupled one to another in any suitablemanner. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , manipulating system 202, usercontrol system 204, and auxiliary system 206 may be communicativelycoupled by way of control lines 216, which may represent any wired orwireless communication link as may serve a particular implementation. Tothis end, manipulating system 202, user control system 204, andauxiliary system 206 may each include one or more wired or wirelesscommunication interfaces, such as one or more local area networkinterfaces, Wi-Fi network interfaces, cellular interfaces, etc.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram 300 showing how system 100may, along with other systems, integrate and/or interoperate withsurgical system 200. Specifically, as shown, block diagram 300 depictsan image capture system 302, an instrument control system 304, and apresentation system 306 that are integrated or coupled, together withsystem 100, with surgical system 200.

In various embodiments, system 100 may be implemented by or integratedinto surgical system 200, while in other embodiments, system 100 may beseparate from but communicatively coupled to surgical system 200. Forexample, system 100 may receive input from and provide output tosurgical system 200 and/or may access imagery of a surgical site,information about the surgical site, and/or information about surgicalsystem 200 from surgical system 200. System 100 may use this accessedimagery and/or information to perform any of the volume detectiontechniques described herein to determine a volume of resected tissueduring a surgical procedure. In a similar manner, image capture system302, instrument control system 304, presentation system 306, and/or anycombination thereof may be implemented by (e.g. integrated into)surgical system 200 or, if separate from surgical system 200, may becommunicatively coupled therewith and controlled by processing resourcesof surgical system 200. Each of systems 302 through 306 will now bedescribed in more detail.

Image capture system 302 may include an endoscope or another suitableimaging device, as well as, in certain examples, computing resourcesconfigured to process data (e.g., image data, video data, depth data,metadata, etc.) captured by the imaging device and/or to generate andprovide such data to system 100. In certain examples, an imaging deviceincluded within image capture system 302 may be implemented as astereoscopic imaging device (e.g., a stereoscopic endoscope) thatincludes stereoscopic imaging elements such as twin capture elementsdisposed at a preconfigured distance apart so as to provide image dataconfigured to leverage the stereoscopic vision of the surgeon using thestereoscopic endoscope to view the surgical site. In suchimplementations, system 100 may perform the accessing of the pluralityof depth datasets by generating each of the plurality of depth datasets.For example, the depth datasets may be generated by determining depthdata for the respective portion of the surface of the resected piece oftissue using a stereoscopic depth detection technique that employs thestereoscopic imaging elements of the stereoscopic imaging device. Forinstance, system 100 may correlate surface points captured by each ofthe stereoscopic imaging elements from their respective vantage points,and triangulate (e.g., based on the known preconfigured distance betweenthe vantage points of the two imaging elements) how far each of thesesurface points are from the imaging device. In this way, image capturesystem 302 may detect and provide, along with captured image data, depthdata representative of the surgical site (e.g., including anyinstruments and/or resected tissue that may be present) to system 100(e.g., by way of surgical system 200).

In certain examples, image capture system 302 may include a monoscopicimaging device rather than a stereoscopic imaging device. In these orother examples, other depth detection techniques may be employed togenerate the plurality of depth datasets that image capture system 302provides to system 100. For example, together with one or more imagingdevices configured to capture image data representative of the surgicalscene, image capture system 302 may also include or implement one ormore depth capture devices that operate on principles such astime-of-flight depth detection or the like. Depth datasets that aregenerated by image capture system 302 and to which access is providedfor system 100 will be described in more detail below.

Instrument control system 304 may include or be implemented by anysuitable surgical instrumentation and/or processing or control resourcesused to facilitate use of the instrumentation as may serve a particularimplementation. For instance, in some examples, instrument controlsystem may include one or more tissue manipulation instruments (e.g.,cutting instruments, grasping instruments, etc.) configured for useduring a surgical procedure to resect a piece of tissue and/or to holdthe resected piece of tissue in a manner that sequentially presentsdifferent portions of the surface of the resected piece of tissue to animaging device included within image capture system 302. In someimplementations, instrument control system 304 may include force sensorssuch as displacement transducers, orientational sensors, and/orpositional sensors that detect the amount of force required to hold andmove objects held by the instruments (e.g., resected pieces of tissue)and that are used to generate raw kinematics information for use in anyof the ways described herein.

Presentation system 306 may include or be implemented by any suitabledisplay screen and/or processing resources used to present informationto a user such as surgical team member 210, who may represent, forexample, surgeon 210-1 or any other member of the team performing thesurgical procedure. In some examples, system 100 may be configured topresent information by way of presentation system 306. For example,system 100 may provide, using presentation system 306 during thesurgical procedure, the estimated volume of the resected piece of tissuefor presentation to the surgical team member 210.

FIGS. 4-6 illustrate various aspects of how the various systems shown inblock diagram 300 may interoperate to capture, generate, and/orotherwise access or provide access to, a plurality of depth datasets fora particular resected piece of tissue. More particularly, FIG. 4 showsexemplary aspects of how a plurality of depth datasets may be capturedas different portions of a surface of a resected piece of tissue arepresented to an exemplary imaging device, FIG. 5 shows an exemplaryplurality of depth datasets and exemplary content that may be includedtherein, and FIG. 6 shows an exemplary manner in which the plurality ofdepth datasets of FIG. 5 may collectively include depth datarepresentative of an entirety of the surface of the resected piece oftissue.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a plurality of snapshots 400 (e.g., snapshots400-1 through 400-6) are shown at respective moments in time 402 (e.g.,moments 402-T1 through 402-T6) along a timeline. As indicated byreference numbers in snapshot 400-1, each of the six snapshots 400depict a resected piece of tissue 404 that is held by a surgicalinstrument 406. It will be understood that, from the vantage point shownin snapshots 400, resected piece of tissue 404 is positioned so as toobscure most of instrument 406 such that only the tips of graspingelements of the instrument can be seen; however, other vantage pointsshowing more of instrument 406 are illustrated in other figures herein.Additionally, each of snapshots 400 depict an imaging device 408 (e.g.,a stereoscopic endoscope) that has a view of resected piece of tissue404 and instrument 406 in accordance with a field of view 410.

It will be understood that each of the elements shown at each moment 402in time are exemplary elements only and may be implemented in any manneras may serve a particular implementation. For instance, resected pieceof tissue 404 may be implemented as any tissue mass (e.g., a resectedmass, an excised mass, etc.) or other object for which it is desirableto determine a volume, and instrument 406 may be implemented by anysurgical instrument or other object configured to hold resected piece oftissue 404 in a manner that allows the tissue to be rotated andpresented to imaging device 408 as shown. Similarly, imaging device 408may be implemented as any suitable imaging device included within imagecapture system 302 and configured to be used to capture imagery and/ordepth data associated with a surgical site during a surgical procedure.Field of view 410 may be any suitable field of view, including a fieldof view narrower or wider than shown in FIG. 4 .

When instrument 406 presents resected piece of tissue 404 to imagingdevice 408 in each of the respective orientations shown in snapshots400-1 through 400-6, image capture system 302 may use imaging device 408to capture a respective depth dataset for resected piece of tissue 404.As described above, system 100 may direct the capture and generation ofthese depth datasets and may access the plurality of depth datasets fromimage capture system 302 as the depth data is being captured.

To illustrate, FIG. 5 shows an exemplary plurality of depth datasets 500(e.g., depth datasets 500-1 through 500-6) along the same timeline shownin FIG. 4 to indicate the respective moments 402 at which each depthdataset is captured. Accordingly, it will be understood that depthdataset 500-1 is captured at moment 402-T1, when one particular portionof the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 is presented to imagingdevice 408, depth dataset 500-2 is captured at moment 402-T2, when adifferent (but overlapping) portion of the surface of resected piece oftissue 404 is presented to imaging device 408, and so forth.

Above the timeline and the individual depth datasets 500, FIG. 5 furtherillustrates a generic depth dataset 500 that indicates exemplary typesof data that may be included in any or all of the individual depthdatasets 500-1 through 500-6. Specifically, as shown, each depth dataset500 in the plurality of depth datasets may include, for a respectiveportion of the surface of resected piece of tissue 404: depth data 402representative of the respective portion of the surface (“Depth ofportion of tissue surface”); metadata 504 representative of a pose ofimaging device 408 as the respective portion of the surface of resectedpiece of tissue 404 is presented to imaging device 408 by instrument 406(“Pose of imaging device capture tissue surface”); and metadata 506representative of a pose of instrument 406 as the respective portion ofthe surface of resected piece of tissue 404 is presented to imagingdevice 408 by instrument 406 (“Pose of instrument holding tissue”).

While certain parts of (or in some implementations, an entirety of)depth datasets 500 may be generated by image capture system 302 based ondata captured by imaging device 408, it will be understood that otherdata included in certain depth datasets 500 may be generated by othersystems such as instrument control system 304. For example, some or allof metadata 504 and/or 506 may be represented with respect to alocalized or global coordinate system and generated based on kinematicor other data tracked by instrument control system 304. Instrumentcontrol system 304 may track, for example, the respective locations ofinstrument 406 with respect to imaging device 408, or may track both ofthese locations with respect to a particular coordinate system. As willbe described and illustrated in more detail below, all of the data 502through 506 included in the plurality of depth datasets 500 may beanalyzed and collectively used to generate a 3D occupancy map thatsystem 100 may employ to determine an estimated volume of resected pieceof tissue 404.

Returning to FIG. 4 , the respective snapshots 400 show that, at eachmoment 402, instrument 406 presents a different portion of the surfaceof resected piece of tissue 404 to imaging device 408 by sequentiallyrotating the different portions toward field of view 410 as timeproceeds. Specifically, as shown, instrument 406 presents one portion ofthe surface of resected piece of tissue 404 to imaging device 408 atmoment 402-T1 (see snapshot 400-1) and then rotates resected piece oftissue 404 over time such that all the other portions of resected pieceof tissue 404 are sequentially presented to imaging device 408 (seesnapshots 400-2 through 400-6). Ultimately, by capturing respectivedepth datasets 500 at each moment 402 as resected piece of tissue 404 issequentially presented to imaging device 408 in this way, system 100 maygain access to sufficient data to generate a 3D occupancy map ofresected piece of tissue 404 that will allow for the volume of resectedpiece of tissue 404 to be determined (i.e., accurately estimated). Thatis, due to the rotation of resected piece of tissue 404 shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of depth datasets 500 accessed by system 100 forresected piece of tissue 404 may collectively include depth datarepresentative of an entirety of the surface of resected piece of tissue404.

To illustrate, FIG. 6 shows a representation of the depth and imagecapture performed by imaging device 408 if the depth and image capturewere performed simultaneously by multiple imaging devices 408 ratherthan, as is actually the case in FIG. 4 , by being performedindividually over a period of time by an individual imaging device 408.Specifically, FIG. 6 shows resected piece of tissue 404 and instrument606 in the center of a plurality of imaging devices 408 that each areassociated with a different field of view 410 (i.e., fields of view410-1 through 410-6). Fields of view 410-1 through 410-6 correspond,respectively, to the field of view 410 of imaging device 408 as shown inFIG. 4 at each of the six different moments 402 along the timeline. Asshown, the six fields of view 410 are collectively able to capture theentirety of the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 from angles allaround resected piece of tissue 404. It will be understood that, whilethe different vantage points of each field of view 410 are shown in onlytwo dimensions for convenience of illustration in FIGS. 4 and 6 ,three-dimensional vantage points around resected piece of tissue 404 maybe employed to capture the entire surface of resected piece of tissue404 in three dimensions.

As will now be described in more detail, depth datasets captured tocollectively represent (such as illustrated in FIG. 6 ) all the portionsof the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 may be processed bysystem 100 to generate a 3D occupancy map upon which a volume estimateof resected piece of tissue 404 may be based. Such a 3D occupancy mapmay be generated in any suitable manner. For instance, in certainimplementations, system 100 may generate a 3D occupancy map byperforming a raytracing operation.

As used herein, a raytracing operation may involve a set of virtual rayssimulated to extend from a point associated with the imaging device tovarious points of intersection in the body upon which the surgicalprocedure is being performed. In some examples, such a raytracingoperation may include determining that one or more virtual rays of theset of virtual rays intersect with one or more points on the surface ofresected piece of tissue 404 and that one or more other virtual rays ofthe set of virtual rays are determined not to intersect with the surfaceof resected piece of tissue 404. Accordingly, based on the raytracingoperation, system 100 may allocate, within a voxel data structure storedby the system to implement the 3D occupancy map, a respective occupiedvoxel for each of the points on the surface of resected piece of tissue404 with which a virtual ray is determined to intersect as part of theraytracing operation.

To illustrate, FIGS. 7-10 illustrate exemplary aspects of how system 100may implement a raytracing operation to generate a 3D occupancy map.More particularly, FIG. 7 shows an exemplary set of virtual rays usedfor a raytracing operation involving resected piece of tissue 404,instrument 406, and imaging device 408, while each of FIGS. 8-10 show arepresentation of a 3D occupancy map (e.g., a 3D occupancy mapimplemented by a voxel data structure) superimposed over the elements ofFIG. 7 to thereby illustrate how the raytracing technique operates tovoxelize resected piece of tissue 404 based on depth datasets 500.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the raytracing operation being performed by system100 (e.g., being directed by system 100 and implemented using variouselements of other systems described herein such as image capture system302) is shown to include a set of virtual rays 702. As shown, virtualrays 702 are simulated to extend from a point 704 that is associatedwith imaging device 408. While only a few virtual rays 702 areexplicitly labeled in FIG. 7 , each of the virtual rays shown in FIG. 7to be extending from point 704 may be understood to be included in theset of virtual rays 702. In this example, point 704 is shown to be at alocation in the center of the proximal tip of imaging device 408. Inthis way, as shown, virtual rays 702 extending from point 704 may alignwith and be distributed across field of view 410 of imaging device 408.

Each of virtual rays 702 is shown to extend from point 704 to one ormore points of intersection in the body (e.g., surface points ofsurfaces at the surgical site where the virtual ray 702 intersects). Forexample, the points of intersection with which virtual rays 702intersect include points on the surface of resected piece of tissue 404,points on the surface of instrument 406, and points on the surface of abackground 706 that represents other tissue and/or objects present atthe surgical site (i.e., tissue and/or objects other than resected pieceof tissue 404 and the surgical instrument 406 that is holding resectedpiece of tissue 404). The raytracing operation illustrated by FIG. 7 mayinclude determining, by system 100 based on depth datasets 500, that oneor more virtual rays 702 of the set of virtual rays 702 intersect withone or more points on the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 (orintersect with one or more points on the surface of instrument 406 thatare contiguous with resected piece of tissue 404), and determining thatone or more other virtual rays 702 of the set of virtual rays 702 do notintersect with the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 (or ofinstrument 406).

When a particular ray 702 is determined to intersect with a surface ofresected piece of tissue 404 or instrument 406, system 100 may allocatea voxel within a voxel data structure implementing a 3D occupancy map,whereas, when a particular ray 702 is determined to intersect with thesurface of background 706, system 100 may abstain from allocating avoxel within the voxel data structure. To illustrate, FIG. 8 shows allthe same elements illustrated in FIG. 7 together with a plurality ofvoxels 802 overlaid onto intersection points of virtual rays 702 withthe surfaces at the surgical site. Voxels 802 are shown in FIG. 8 toillustrate a visual representation of data that system 100 may allocatein a voxel data structure that is stored by system 100 to implement a 3Doccupancy map. For example, system 100 may store such a voxel datastructure within storage facility 102 or within another such storagefacility to which system 100 has access. While shown in two dimensionsfor clarity of illustration in FIG. 8 , it will be understood that eachvoxel 802 (as well as other voxels that will be depicted in FIGS. 9 and10 below), may be implemented as a cube associated with a particularpoint in three dimensional space in accordance with a coordinate system(e.g., a coordinate system associated with the surgical site).

By allocating each voxel 802, system 100 effectively stores dataindicating that the particular 3D point at the surgical site isoccupied, while other 3D points at the surgical site that system 100abstains from allocating are indicated to be unoccupied. Accordingly, asshown, different allocated voxels 802 (which will be understood to referto all of the small squares shown in FIG. 8 and not only the onesexplicitly labeled 802) are stored to correspond to each intersectionpoint of each virtual ray 702 and each surface, based on the depthdatasets for resected piece of tissue 404 generated and accessed in theways described above.

Whenever virtual rays 702 are detected to intersect with intersectionpoints on a surface, system 100 may be configured to segmentintersections with resected piece of tissue 404 and intersections withother objects at the surgical site for which the volume is not beingdetermined. This segmentation may be performed in any suitable manner,such as, for example, by using machine learning technology that istrained, based on previous surgical procedures, to differentiate tissuefrom various components of surgical instruments (e.g., the jaw, thewrist, the shaft, etc.) and/or other objects that may be present at thesurgical site. Additionally, machine learning and/or depth data may beused during the segmentation process to differentiate tissue of resectedpiece of tissue 404 from tissue that may be present within background706.

System 100 may use any of various suitable techniques to account for thevolume of instrument 406 so as to avoid including the volume ofinstrument 406 with the final volume estimation for resected piece oftissue 404. For example, one such technique may involve accessingpredetermined volume data for instrument 406 or specific componentsthereof (e.g., the grasping elements or jaws of the instrument). Suchvolume data may be accessible as part of a computer-aided design (“CAD”)model that is available for instrument 406, or the volume data may havebeen previously measured and stored in a storage location that isaccessible to system 100. In such an example, system 100 may treatinstrument 406 (or at least the specific components thereof) as beingpart of the volume of resected piece of tissue 404 during the raytracingoperation, and may later subtract the known, predetermined volume of theinstrument to accurately estimate the volume of only resected piece oftissue 404.

As another example, system 100 may account for instrument 406 based onknown dimensions of instrument 406 (e.g., from the CAD model or thelike). For instance, system 100 may detect (e.g., using machine learningor another suitable technology as described above) when an intersectionpoint is on the surface of instrument 406, and, in response, may accountfor the known thickness of instrument 406 to allocate a voxel 802 wherethe corresponding tissue intersection point should be.

As raytracing is performed to map out entrance points and exit points ofvirtual rays 702 virtually passing into and then back out of resectedpiece of tissue 404, an assumption may be made that resected piece oftissue 404 is solid (i.e., rather than hollow), such that voxels alongthe virtual ray 702 between the entrance and exit intersection pointsmay also be allocated as occupied voxels. More specifically, system 100may determine that at least one of virtual rays 702 intersects with afirst point on the surface of resected piece of tissue 404, and mayfurther determine that the virtual ray 702 intersects, after passingthrough resected piece of tissue 404, with a second point on the surfaceof resected piece of tissue 404. Accordingly, system 100 may continuegenerating the 3D occupancy map by allocating, within the voxel datastructure, additional occupied voxels associated with respectiveinternal points disposed within resected piece of tissue 404 between thefirst and second points on the surface of resected piece of tissue 404.

To illustrate, FIG. 9 shows all the same occupied voxels 802 that areshown in FIG. 8 together with various internal occupied voxels 902 thatare filled in along each virtual ray 702 between entry and exit pointsof the virtual ray 702 as it passes through resected piece of tissue404. In order to differentiate occupied voxels 802 from occupied voxels902 in the illustration (since it is not practical for every voxel ofeither type to be explicitly labeled), occupied voxels 802 are shaded inblack in FIG. 9 while occupied voxels 902 are left unshaded in white.

In addition to allocating voxels 802 for surface points of resectedpiece of tissue 404 and allocating voxels 902 for internal points ofresected piece of tissue 404, system 100 may be further configured toautomatically fill in other holes in the voxel data structure that maynot be explicitly intersected or traversed by any virtual ray 702 in theset of virtual rays 702, but that may nevertheless be likely to beoccupied by the resected piece of tissue 404. For example, system 100may, as part of the generating of the 3D occupancy map, allocate one ormore additional occupied voxels within the voxel data structure for oneor more points on the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 that meetcertain criteria. Specifically, for example, system 100 may allocate theone or more additional occupied voxels for surface points of resectedpiece of tissue 404 that 1) are not determined by the raytracingoperation to intersect with a virtual ray 702 of the set of virtual rays702, and 2) are disposed between at least two points on the surface ofresected piece of tissue 404 that are determined by the raytracingoperation to intersect with virtual rays 702 of the set of virtual rays702. In this way, system 100 may “smooth out” a surface of a voxelizedrepresentation of resected piece of tissue 404 in the 3D occupancy mapby making an assumption that most surface points will be similar toneighboring surface points even if the resolution of virtual rays is notgreat enough to capture every possible surface point.

Similarly, once these additional surface points have been filled in suchthat the 3D occupancy map includes a voxelized representation ofresected piece of tissue 404 with a contiguous outer surface, certainadditional internal voxels may similarly be filled in to make thevoxelized representation solid with no hollow areas.

To illustrate, FIG. 10 shows all the same occupied voxels 802 and 902that have been introduced and described in FIGS. 8 and 9 , together withvarious additional surface voxels 1002 and additional internal voxels1004 that are filled in in accordance with the smoothing functiondescribed above or another suitable smoothing or gap-filling function.In order to differentiate occupied voxels 802 and 902 from occupiedvoxels 1002 and 1004 in the illustration (since it is not practical forevery voxel of any of these categories to be explicitly labeled),occupied voxels 802 and 902 are shaded in black in FIG. 10 whileoccupied voxels 1002 and 1004 are left unshaded in white.

As shown in two dimensions in FIG. 10 , after system 100 performs theraytracing operation to generate the 3D occupancy map for resected pieceof tissue 404, summing the volume of all the occupied voxels (i.e.,voxels 802, 902, 1002, and 1004 in FIG. 10 ) yields a good estimation ofthe volume of resected piece of tissue 404. While only two dimensionsare shown in these examples for clarity of illustration, it will beunderstood that voxels are 3D components that are used to construct avoxelized 3D representation that is analogous to the pixelized 2Drepresentation shown in the figures herein. Additionally, while theraytracing technique is illustrated only from a single point 704, itwill be understood that the estimation may be made more accurate byaccounting for raytracing results from multiple vantage points (e.g.,points analogous to point 704 that are associated with each of theorientations illustrated in snapshots 400). The estimation may also bemade most accurate by using high-resolution raytracing operations,high-resolution depth data, and so forth.

As mentioned above, the volume detection technique that has beendescribed in detail up to this point (i.e., the occupancy map volumedetection technique that is performed, for example, by accessing of theplurality of depth datasets, generating of the 3D occupancy map, anddetermining the volume of the resected piece of tissue) may, in variousexamples, be supplemented or replaced by other suitable volume detectiontechniques that accomplish the same goal. Specifically, in certainembodiments, system 100 may be configured to implement, in addition toimplementing the occupancy map volume detection technique, an additionalvolume detection technique that is configured to supplement theoccupancy map volume detection technique by verifying an accuracy of theoccupancy map volume detection technique, by refining the estimatedvolume determined using the occupancy map volume detection technique, bydetermining a volume for the resected piece of tissue that is to beverified or refined by the occupancy map volume detection technique, orby otherwise supplementing and/or improving operations performed usingthe occupancy map volume detection technique.

In other embodiments, system 100 may be configured to replace theoccupancy map volume detection technique with one of the additionalvolume detection techniques as the primary volume detection technique.In certain of these examples, this primary volume detection techniquemay itself be supplemented by the occupancy map volume detectiontechnique or any other volume detection technique described herein.

System 100 may perform any volume detection technique as may serve aparticular implementation. For example, as mentioned above, suitablevolume detection techniques may include not only the occupancy mapvolume detection technique described in detail above, but also volumedetection techniques such as the interaction-based volume detectiontechnique, the shrink-wrap-based volume detection technique, theforce-sensing-based volume detection technique, the cavity-based volumedetection technique, and/or any combination thereof. Each of theadditional volume detection techniques (i.e., the interaction-basedvolume detection technique, the shrink-wrap-based volume detectiontechnique, the force-sensing-based volume detection technique, and thecavity-based volume detection technique) will now be described in moredetail in relation to FIGS. 11-14 .

System 100 may perform an interaction-based volume detection techniqueby interacting with (e.g., prompting and/or receiving user input from) asurgical team member (e.g., the surgeon) to get assistance withdetermining an estimated volume of a resected piece of tissue. Forexample, system 100 may be configured to receive user inputrepresentative of a parameter of a geometric shape having a volumedefined as a function of the parameter. As the user input is provided,system 100 may provide to the surgical team member a representation ofthe geometric shape in relation to the resected piece of tissue. Forinstance, the representation may be configured to facilitate thesurgical team member in selecting the parameter so as to make the volumeof the geometric shape approximate the volume of the resected piece oftissue. Accordingly, based on the volume of the geometric shape for theparameter represented by the received user input, system 100 maydetermine an estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue (or, ifthe interaction-based volume detection technique is being used as asupplemental volume detection technique, system 100 may determine anadditional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue that may beused to supplement a previously-estimated primary estimation of thevolume by verifying or refining the primary estimation).

To illustrate, FIG. 11 shows two views 1100 (i.e., views 1100-1 and1100-2) of a display screen 1102 presented to a surgical team member.Display screen 1102 may represent a stereoscopic viewer built into usercontrol system 204 for use by surgeon 210-1, display monitor 214 builtinto auxiliary system 206 for use by surgical team members 210-2 through210-4, or another suitable display presented by any implementation ofpresentation system 306.

As shown in view 1100-1, a geometric shape 1104 associated with aparameter 1106 is represented on display screen 1102 in relation toresected piece of tissue 404 and the surgical instrument 406 that isholding resected piece of tissue 404. In this example, geometric shape1104 represents a sphere and parameter 1106 is shown to be a radius ofthe sphere. In other examples, however, it will be understood thatgeometric shape may be any suitable 3D geometric shape for which avolume can be easily calculated as a function of parameter 1106. Forexample, just as the volume of the sphere represented by geometric shape1104 may be defined as a function of radius parameter 406 by thewell-known formula for the volume of a sphere (i.e., by cubing parameter406 and multiplying it by 4π/3), the volumes of other geometric shapessuch as cubes, rectangular prisms, cylinders, pyramids, and so forth,may be similarly defined as functions of one or two basic parameterssuch as radii, lengths, widths, or so forth.

By viewing the representation of geometric shape 1104 in relation toresected piece of tissue 404 shown on display screen 1102, the surgicalteam member may provide input to adjust parameter 1106 to cause thevolume of geometric shape 1104 to approximate the volume of resectedpiece of tissue 404. For example, as shown in view 1100-2, the surgicalteam member may provide input that shortens radius parameter 1106 untilthe volume of the sphere of geometric shape 1104 closely approximatesthe volume of resected piece of tissue 1104 (which, in this example, isitself similar in shape to a sphere). Once the surgical team member issatisfied that geometric shape 1104 approximates the size and shape ofresected piece of tissue 404, system 100 may determine and provide thevolume of geometric shape 1104, which may act as a proxy for the volumeof resected piece of tissue 404.

The interaction-based volume detection technique illustrated in FIG. 11may be customized in various ways to be effective, accurate, and easy touse for the surgical team member. For instance, in certainimplementations, system 100 may provide a selection of different typesof geometric shapes (including the sphere shown with geometric shape1104) that the user may select from to best match the shape of aparticular resected piece of tissue that is to be measured. If theresected piece of tissue more closely resembles a cylinder than asphere, for example, system 100 may accept input from the surgical teammember that selects a cylindrical geometric shape whose volume isdefined by radius and length parameters that the surgical team membercan select to make the cylinder approximate the resected piece of tissuein volume. In other implementations, system 100 may automatically selectfrom the different types of available geometric shapes to attempt toapproximate the shape of the resected piece of tissue, or system 100 mayallow the user to draw or otherwise create his or her own desiredgeometric shape.

Just as instrument 406 is used to rotate and present resected piece oftissue 404 in front of the imaging device in the occupancy map volumedetection technique described above, instrument 406 may similarly beused to rotate resected piece of tissue 404 to be viewed from multipleangles as the surgical team member adjusts parameter 1106 to properlysize geometric shape 1104. In this way, geometric shape may be quicklyand conveniently sized and modified to be a good proxy for resectedpiece of tissue 404 (i.e., a proxy whose volume may be readilycalculated as a function of parameter 1106 based on standard equationsfor the volume of the geometric shape). As described above, system 100may be configured to account for the volume of portions of instrument406 that are in contact with resected piece of tissue 404 in anysuitable way. For example, system 100 may automatically subtract apredetermined volume of the tips of the grasping elements of instrument406 (i.e., the part of instrument 406 that is in direct contact withresected piece of tissue 404 and included within geometric shape 1104)from the volume estimated for resected piece of tissue 404 based on thevolume of geometric shape 1104.

In some examples, rather than receiving user input from the surgicalteam member to adjust parameter 1106, system 100 may be configured toautomatically adjust parameter 1106 using artificial intelligence (e.g.,machine learning, etc.) or another suitable technology. In such cases,it may be practical for system 100 (in ways that would not be practicalfor a human user) to adjust more parameters to incorporate more nuanceinto the final geometric shape whose volume is calculated. For example,the shrink-wrap-based volume detection technique is configured tooperate in this way.

In the shrink-wrap-based volume detection technique, system 100 maydivide a geometric shape into a plurality of individually-sizablesectors where each individually-sizable sector has a volume defined as afunction of a parameter associated with the individually-sizable sector,and where a volume of the geometric shape is defined as a sum of thevolumes of all of the individually-sizable sectors. Rather thanpetitioning user input for each of these individual parameters (whichmay not be practical or convenient for a user to manually provide),system 100 may automatically set the respective parameters defining thevolumes of each of the plurality of individually-sizable sectors in sucha way as to make the individually-sizable sectors conform tocorresponding parts of the surface of the resected piece of tissue.System 100 may then determine the volume of the geometric shape bysumming the volumes of all of the plurality of individually-sizablesectors after the respective parameters have been set, and, based onthis volume of the geometric shape, system 100 may determine anestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue (or, if theshrink-wrap-based volume detection technique is being used as asupplemental volume detection technique, system 100 may determine anadditional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue that may beused to supplement a previously-determined primary estimation of thevolume by verifying or refining the primary estimation).

To illustrate, FIG. 12 shows two views 1200 (i.e., views 1200-1 and1200-2) of display screen 1102, described above in relation to FIG. 11 .As shown in view 1200-1, a spherical geometric shape similar togeometric shape 1104 is shown to be divided into a plurality ofindividually-sizable sectors 1204 (i.e., sectors 1204-1 through 1204-6),each of which is associated with a respective parameter 1206 (i.e.,parameters 1206-1 through 1206-6, respectively). Just as the volume ofthe sphere of geometric shape 1104 could be readily computed as afunction of parameter 1106, the respective volume of each sector 1204 inFIG. 12 may be readily computed as a function of its respectiveparameter 1206. The sum of the volumes of all of the sectors may then bereadily computed to determine the volume of the entire geometric shape.Accordingly, in this volume detection technique, system 100 may beconfigured to automatically adjust each respective parameter 1206 tomake the individually-sizable sector 1204 conform as closely as possibleto the surface of resected piece of tissue 404 in an analogous way tohow certain plastics may conform to an underlying shape when heat isapplied during a shrink-wrapping process. View 1200-2 illustrates eachof sectors 1204 after system 100 has adjusted each individual parameter1206 to cause sectors 1204 to conform to the surface of resected pieceof tissue 404.

System 100 may determine the appropriate parameters 1206 for each sector1204 in the shrink-wrap-based volume detection technique in any suitablemanner and/or using any suitable technologies or techniques. Forexample, system 100 may be configured to determine a point cloud ofdepth data for resected piece of tissue 404 and may use a signeddistance function (“SDF”) to determine how dose each point in the pointcloud is to the surface of the particular sector 1204 of the geometricshape around resected piece of tissue 404.

In the force-sensing-based volume detection technique, system 100 may beconfigured to determine a force value that is applied to a surgicalinstrument to allow the instrument to hold a resected piece of tissue inplace. Based on this force value, system 100 may determine a mass of theresected piece of tissue (e.g., based on force calibration parameterssince a more massive resected piece of tissue requires a larger forcevalue to hold in place than a less massive resected piece of tissue).Based on the mass of the resected piece of tissue, system 100 maydetermine the estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue. Forinstance, system 100 may access an estimated density value for theresected piece of tissue, and, based on the force value and theestimated density value, system 100 may determine an estimated volume ofthe resected piece of tissue (or, if the force-sensing-based volumedetection technique is being used as a supplemental volume detectiontechnique, system 100 may determine an additional estimated volume ofthe resected piece of tissue that may be used to supplement apreviously-determined primary estimation of the volume by verifying orrefining the primary estimation).

To illustrate, FIG. 13 shows exemplary aspects of a force-sensing-basedvolume detection technique including a force system 1302 that appliesforce to a joint 1304 associated with instrument 406 that is holdingresected piece of tissue 404 in place. As shown, force system 1302 isincluded within or communicatively coupled with (e.g., and controlledby) system 100. In FIG. 13 , force system 1302 uses kinematic datadetermined and provided in the ways described above to direct one ormore joints such as joint 1304 of a manipulator arm (e.g., one ofmanipulator arms 212) to move and control instrument 406 in whatevermanner surgical team members 210 may choose. When instrument 406 holdsan object such as resected piece of tissue 404, however, force system1302 may have to direct a greater force value to be applied by joint1304 than if instrument 406 were not holding such as object.

For example, force system 1302 may report that a first amount of torqueis required to move or hold up instrument 406 when nothing is being heldby instrument 406, and that a second amount of torque is required tomove or hold up instrument 406 when resected piece of tissue 404 isbeing held by instrument 406. Accordingly, system 100 may subtract thefirst force value from the second force value to determine how muchtorque is required to move or hold up resected piece of tissue 404,which may directly indicate the weight and/or mass of resected piece oftissue 404.

Once system 404 has determined the mass of resected piece of tissue 404,the estimated volume may be determined based on the mass and based onthe density of resected piece of tissue 404, which may be stored andretrieved or otherwise accessed by system 100. For example, the volumeof resected piece of tissue 404 may be readily calculated as the mass ofresected piece of tissue divided by the density of resected piece oftissue 404.

To access the estimated density value for resected piece of tissue 404,system 100 may store a chart of various densities of different types oftissue and may access the estimated density value based on the type ofsurgery being performed, based on user input received from a surgicalmember, or based on any other suitable way that system 100 may have ofdetecting the type of tissue included in resected piece of tissue 404.In other examples, system 100 may employ a predetermined average densityvalue or a density value provided by a surgical team member or the like.

In the cavity-based volume detection technique, system 100 may beconfigured to access, instead of or in addition to depth data for aresected piece of tissue itself, a plurality of depth datasets for acavity left by the resected piece of tissue. Based on these depthdatasets, system 100 may generate a 3D occupancy map analogous to the 3Doccupancy maps described above, except that, instead of including voxelsidentified to be occupied by the resected piece of tissue itself, this3D occupancy map includes a set of voxels identified to be occupied bythe cavity left by the resected piece of tissue. System 100 maydetermine, based on the 3D occupancy map associated with the cavity, anestimated volume of the cavity left by the resected piece of tissue,and, based on the estimated volume of the cavity, system 100 maydetermine an estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue (or, ifthe cavity-based volume detection technique is being used as asupplemental volume detection technique, system 100 may determine anadditional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue that may beused to supplement a previously-determined primary estimation of thevolume by verifying or refining the primary estimation).

To illustrate, FIG. 14 shows a cavity 1402 left within tissue 1404 byresected piece of tissue 404. Using an analogous technique as describedabove for generating the 3D occupancy map of resected piece of tissue404, system 100 may generate a 3D occupancy map for cavity 1402. Thevolume of cavity 1402 may be determined based on this 3D occupancy mapand may serve as a proxy for the volume of resected piece of tissue 404itself. While all sides of cavity 1402 may not be presented byinstrument 406 to imaging device 408 in the same way as described above(e.g., see FIG. 4 above and the description associated therewith),cavity 1402 may still be viewed from multiple angles such as by movingimaging device 408 to different positions to capture different vantagepoints of cavity 1402. To illustrate, FIG. 14 shows two exemplarypositions 1406 (i.e., positions 1406-1 and 1406-2) that imaging device408 may employ to capture depth datasets for cavity 1402. While only twopositions 1406 are explicitly illustrated in FIG. 14 , it will beunderstood that various other positions 1406 may be employed in order tocapture plenty of depth data for system 100 to generate the 3D occupancymap of cavity 1402.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary method 1500 for determining a volume ofresected tissue during a surgical procedure. While FIG. 15 illustratesexemplary operations according to one embodiment, other embodiments mayomit, add to, reorder, combine, and/or modify any of the operationsshown in FIG. 15 . One or more of the operations shown in in FIG. 15 maybe performed by a tissue volume detection system during a surgicalprocedure that involves resecting a piece of tissue from a body. Forexample, the tissue volume detection system performing the operationsshown in FIG. 15 may be system 100, any components included therein,and/or any implementation thereof.

In operation 1502, a tissue volume detection system may access aplurality of depth datasets for a resected piece of tissue. For example,operation 1502 may be performed during a surgical procedure thatinvolves resecting a piece of tissue from a body, and the tissue volumedetection system may access depth datasets associated with that resectedpiece of tissue. In some examples, each depth dataset in the pluralityof depth datasets may be captured as a different portion of a surface ofthe resected piece of tissue is presented to an imaging device by aninstrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in a manner thatsequentially presents the different portions of the surface to theimaging device. Operation 1502 may be performed in any of the waysdescribed herein.

In operation 1504, the tissue volume detection system may generate a 3Doccupancy map that includes a set of voxels identified to be occupied bythe resected piece of tissue. For example, the tissue volume detectionsystem may generate the 3D occupancy map during the surgical procedureand based on the plurality of depth datasets accessed at operation 1502.Operation 1504 may be performed in any of the ways described herein.

In operation 1506, the tissue volume detection system may determine anestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue. For instance, theestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue may be determined bythe tissue volume detection system during the surgical procedure basedon the 3D occupancy map generated at operation 1504. Operation 1506 maybe performed in any of the ways described herein.

In some examples, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storingcomputer-readable instructions may be provided in accordance with theprinciples described herein. The instructions, when executed by aprocessor of a computing device, may direct the processor and/orcomputing device to perform one or more operations, including one ormore of the operations described herein. Such instructions may be storedand/or transmitted using any of a variety of known computer-readablemedia.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium as referred to herein mayinclude any non-transitory storage medium that participates in providingdata (e.g., instructions) that may be read and/or executed by acomputing device (e.g., by a processor of a computing device). Forexample, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include, but isnot limited to, any combination of non-volatile storage media and/orvolatile storage media. Exemplary non-volatile storage media include,but are not limited to, read-only memory, flash memory, a solid-statedrive, a magnetic storage device (e.g. a hard disk, a floppy disk,magnetic tape, etc.), ferroelectric random-access memory (“RAM”), and anoptical disc (e.g., a compact disc, a digital video disc, a Blu-raydisc, etc.). Exemplary volatile storage media include, but are notlimited to, RAM (e.g., dynamic RAM).

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary computing device 1600 that may bespecifically configured to perform one or more of the processesdescribed herein. Any of the systems, units, computing devices, and/orother components described herein may be implemented by computing device1600.

As shown in FIG. 16 , computing device 1600 may include a communicationinterface 1602, a processor 1604, a storage device 1606, and aninput/output (“I/O”) module 1608 communicatively connected one toanother via a communication infrastructure 1610. While an exemplarycomputing device 1600 is shown in FIG. 16 , the components illustratedin FIG. 16 are not intended to be limiting. Additional or alternativecomponents may be used in other embodiments. Components of computingdevice 1600 shown in FIG. 16 will now be described in additional detail.

Communication interface 1602 may be configured to communicate with oneor more computing devices. Examples of communication interface 1602include, without limitation, a wired network interface (such as anetwork interface card), a wireless network interface (such as awireless network interface card), a modem, an audio/video connection,and any other suitable interface.

Processor 1604 generally represents any type or form of processing unitcapable of processing data and/or interpreting, executing, and/ordirecting execution of one or more of the instructions, processes,and/or operations described herein. Processor 1604 may performoperations by executing computer-executable instructions 1612 (e.g., anapplication, software, code, and/or other executable data instance)stored in storage device 1606.

Storage device 1606 may include one or more data storage media, devices,or configurations and may employ any type, form, and combination of datastorage media and/or device. For example, storage device 1606 mayinclude, but is not limited to, any combination of the non-volatilemedia and/or volatile media described herein. Electronic data, includingdata described herein, may be temporarily and/or permanently stored instorage device 1606. For example, data representative ofcomputer-executable instructions 1612 configured to direct processor1604 to perform any of the operations described herein may be storedwithin storage device 1606. In some examples, data may be arranged inone or more databases residing within storage device 1606.

I/O module 1608 may include one or more I/O modules configured toreceive user input and provide user output. I/O module 1608 may includeany hardware, firmware, software, or combination thereof supportive ofinput and output capabilities. For example, I/O module 1608 may includehardware and/or software for capturing user input, including, but notlimited to, a keyboard or keypad, a touchscreen component (e.g.,touchscreen display), a receiver (e.g., an RF or infrared receiver),motion sensors, and/or one or more input buttons.

I/O module 1608 may include one or more devices for presenting output toa user, including, but not limited to, a graphics engine, a display(e.g., a display screen), one or more output drivers (e.g., displaydrivers), one or more audio speakers, and one or more audio drivers. Incertain embodiments, I/O module 1608 is configured to provide graphicaldata to a display for presentation to a user. The graphical data may berepresentative of one or more graphical user interfaces and/or any othergraphical content as may serve a particular implementation.

In some examples, any of the facilities described herein may beimplemented by or within one or more components of computing device1600. For example, one or more applications 1612 residing within storagedevice 1606 may be configured to direct an implementation of processor1604 to perform one or more operations or functions associated withprocessing facility 104 of system 100. Likewise, storage facility 102 ofsystem 100 may be implemented by or within an implementation of storagedevice 1606.

In the preceding description, various exemplary embodiments have beendescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however,be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto,and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing fromthe scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. Forexample, certain features of one embodiment described herein may becombined with or substituted for features of another embodimentdescribed herein. The description and drawings are accordingly to beregarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

1. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a processorcommunicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute theinstructions to: access, during a surgical procedure that involvesresecting a piece of tissue from a body, a plurality of depth datasetsfor the resected piece of tissue, each depth dataset in the plurality ofdepth datasets captured as a different portion of a surface of theresected piece of tissue is presented to an imaging device by aninstrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in a manner thatsequentially presents the different portions of the surface to theimaging device; determine, during the surgical procedure and based onthe plurality of depth datasets, an estimated volume of the resectedpiece of tissue; and indicate, during the surgical procedure, whetherthe estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue is within apredetermined threshold of an expected volume of the resected piece oftissue.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each depth dataset in theplurality of depth datasets includes, for a respective portion of thesurface of the resected piece of tissue: depth data representative ofthe respective portion of the surface; metadata representative of a poseof the imaging device as the respective portion of the surface ispresented to the imaging device by the instrument; and metadatarepresentative of a pose of the instrument as the respective portion ofthe surface is presented to the imaging device by the instrument.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein: the processor is further configured toexecute the instructions to generate a three-dimensional (3D) occupancymap that includes a set of voxels identified to be occupied by theresected piece of tissue; the generating of the 3D occupancy mapincludes: performing a raytracing operation involving a set of virtualrays simulated to extend from a point associated with the imaging deviceto various points of intersection in the body, the raytracing operationincluding determining that one or more virtual rays of the set ofvirtual rays intersect with one or more points on the surface of theresected piece of tissue and that one or more other virtual rays of theset of virtual rays are determined not to intersect with the surface ofthe resected piece of tissue; and based on the raytracing operation,allocating, within a voxel data structure stored by the system toimplement the 3D occupancy map, a respective occupied voxel for each ofthe points on the surface of the resected piece of tissue with which avirtual ray is determined to intersect as part of the raytracingoperation; and the determining of the estimated volume of the resectedpiece of tissue is performed based on the 3D occupancy map.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein: at least one of the virtual rays determinedto intersect with a first point of the one or more points on the surfaceis further determined to intersect, after passing through the resectedpiece of tissue, with a second point of the one or more points on thesurface of the resected piece of tissue; and the generating of the 3Doccupancy map further includes allocating, within the voxel datastructure, an additional occupied voxel associated with an internalpoint disposed within the resected piece of tissue between the first andsecond points on the surface of the resected piece of tissue.
 5. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the generating of the 3D occupancy mapfurther includes allocating, within the voxel data structure, anadditional occupied voxel associated with a point on the surface of theresected piece of tissue that: is not determined by the raytracingoperation to intersect with a virtual ray of the set of virtual rays,and is disposed between two points on the surface of the resected pieceof tissue that are determined by the raytracing operation to intersectwith virtual rays of the set of virtual rays.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructionsto implement, in addition to implementing a first volume detectiontechnique that includes the accessing of the plurality of depth datasetsand the determining of the estimated volume of the resected piece oftissue, a second volume detection technique that is configured toperform at least one of: verifying an accuracy of the first volumedetection technique; or refining the estimated volume determined usingthe first volume detection technique.
 7. The system of claim 6, whereinthe second volume detection technique includes: receiving user inputfrom a member of a surgical team performing the surgical procedure, theuser input representative of a parameter of a geometric shape having avolume defined as a function of the parameter; providing, to the memberof the surgical team as the user input is provided, a representation ofthe geometric shape in relation to the resected piece of tissue, therepresentation configured to facilitate the member of the surgical teamin selecting the parameter so as to make the volume of the geometricshape approximate the volume of the resected piece of tissue; anddetermining, based on the volume of the geometric shape for theparameter represented by the received user input, an additionalestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue.
 8. The system of claim6, wherein the second volume detection technique includes: accessing anadditional plurality of depth datasets for a cavity left by the resectedpiece of tissue; determining, based on the additional plurality of depthdatasets, an estimated volume of the cavity left by the resected pieceof tissue; and determining, based on the estimated volume of the cavity,an additional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue.
 9. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the second volume detection techniqueincludes: determining a force value that is applied to the instrument toallow the instrument to hold the resected piece of tissue in place;determining, based on the force value, a mass of the resected piece oftissue; accessing an estimated density value for the resected piece oftissue; and determining, based on the force value and the estimateddensity value, an additional estimated volume of the resected piece oftissue.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the second volume detectiontechnique includes: dividing a geometric shape into a plurality ofindividually-sizable sectors, each individually-sizable sector having avolume defined as a function of a parameter associated with theindividually-sizable sector, and a volume of the geometric shape definedas a sum of the volumes of all of the individually-sizable sectors;setting the respective parameters defining the volumes of each of theplurality of individually-sizable sectors in such a way as to make theindividually-sizable sectors conform to corresponding parts of thesurface of the resected piece of tissue; determining the volume of thegeometric shape by summing the volumes of all of the plurality ofindividually-sizable sectors after the respective parameters have beenset; and determining, based on the volume of the geometric shape, anadditional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured toexecute the instructions to provide, during the surgical procedure andprior to the resected piece of tissue being removed from the body, theestimated volume of the resected piece of tissue for presentation to amember of a surgical team performing the surgical procedure.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the plurality of depth datasets accessed forthe resected piece of tissue collectively include depth datarepresentative of an entirety of the surface of the resected piece oftissue.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein: the imaging device isimplemented as a stereoscopic imaging device that includes stereoscopicimaging elements; and the accessing of the plurality of depth datasetsincludes generating each of the plurality of depth datasets bydetermining depth data for the respective portion of the surface of theresected piece of tissue using a stereoscopic depth detection techniquethat employs the stereoscopic imaging elements of the stereoscopicimaging device.
 14. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions;and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured toexecute the instructions to: access, during a surgical procedure thatinvolves resecting a piece of tissue from a body, a plurality of depthdatasets for the resected piece of tissue, each depth dataset in theplurality of depth datasets captured as a different portion of a surfaceof the resected piece of tissue is presented to an imaging device by aninstrument that holds the resected piece of tissue in a manner thatsequentially presents the different portions of the surface to theimaging device; access an expected volume of the resected piece oftissue, the expected volume determined prior to the surgical procedure;determine, during the surgical procedure and based on the plurality ofdepth datasets, an estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue;compare, during the surgical procedure, the estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue with the expected volume of the resected pieceof tissue; and indicate, during the surgical procedure to a member of asurgical team performing the surgical procedure, whether the estimatedvolume is within a predetermined threshold of the expected volume.
 15. Amethod comprising: accessing, by a tissue volume detection system duringa surgical procedure that involves resecting a piece of tissue from abody, a plurality of depth datasets for the resected piece of tissue,each depth dataset in the plurality of depth datasets captured as adifferent portion of a surface of the resected piece of tissue ispresented to an imaging device by an instrument that holds the resectedpiece of tissue in a manner that sequentially presents the differentportions of the surface to the imaging device; determining, by thetissue volume detection system during the surgical procedure and basedon the plurality of depth datasets, an estimated volume of the resectedpiece of tissue; and indicating, by the tissue volume detection systemduring the surgical procedure, whether the estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue is within a predetermined threshold of anexpected volume of the resected piece of tissue.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein each depth dataset in the plurality of depth datasetsincludes, for a respective portion of the surface of the resected pieceof tissue: depth data representative of the respective portion of thesurface; metadata representative of a pose of the imaging device as therespective portion of the surface is presented to the imaging device bythe instrument; and metadata representative of a pose of the instrumentas the respective portion of the surface is presented to the imagingdevice by the instrument.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprisinggenerating, by the tissue volume detection system during the surgicalprocedure, a three-dimensional (3D) occupancy map that includes a set ofvoxels identified to be occupied by the resected piece of tissue;wherein: the generating of the 3D occupancy map includes: performing araytracing operation involving a set of virtual rays simulated to extendfrom a point associated with the imaging device to various points ofintersection in the body, the raytracing operation including determiningthat one or more virtual rays of the set of virtual rays intersect withone or more points on the surface of the resected piece of tissue andthat one or more other virtual rays of the set of virtual rays aredetermined not to intersect with the surface of the resected piece oftissue; and based on the raytracing operation, allocating, within avoxel data structure stored by the tissue volume detection system toimplement the 3D occupancy map, a respective occupied voxel for each ofthe points on the surface of the resected piece of tissue with which avirtual ray is determined to intersect as part of the raytracingoperation; and the determining of the estimated volume of the resectedpiece of tissue is performed based on the 3D occupancy map.
 18. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising implementing, by the tissuevolume detection system in addition to implementing a first volumedetection technique that includes the accessing of the plurality ofdepth datasets and the determining of the estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue, a second volume detection technique that isconfigured to perform at least one of: verifying an accuracy of thefirst volume detection technique; or refining the estimated volumedetermined using the first volume detection technique.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the second volume detection technique includes:receiving user input from a member of a surgical team performing thesurgical procedure, the user input representative of a parameter of ageometric shape having a volume defined as a function of the parameter;providing, to the member of the surgical team as the user input isprovided, a representation of the geometric shape in relation to theresected piece of tissue, the representation configured to facilitatethe member of the surgical team in selecting the parameter so as to makethe volume of the geometric shape approximate the volume of the resectedpiece of tissue; and determining, based on the volume of the geometricshape for the parameter represented by the received user input, anadditional estimated volume of the resected piece of tissue.
 20. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising providing, by the tissue volumedetection system during the surgical procedure and prior to the resectedpiece of tissue being removed from the body, the estimated volume of theresected piece of tissue for presentation to a member of a surgical teamperforming the surgical procedure.